Whats the difference between rugby union and league?

Question

Whats the difference between rugby union and league?

Answer 1

Firstly Rugby Union has 15 players on the field for each team Rugby League has 13 a side. There are no rucks and mauls, lineouts in League, and Rugby union is as boring as batshit

Answer 2

BAH! EVERYTHING you tennis fan

Answer 3

Good Question.

Answer 4

Rugby League has the six tackle rule where if you don't get a try within 6 tackles the other team is given the ball. In union there are more scrums and when a player is tackled they just all pile in and he has to get the ball to another of his players. That's is the basics but many rules to each game that are different.

Answer 5

15 Players in RU, 13 in RL. No lineouts in RL. Takle and hold in RL tackle and ruck or maul in RU. 5 Points for a try in RU, 4 in RL. 3 Points for a penalty/Drop-Goal in RU, 1 in RL.

Answer 6

Rugby Union is Chess, Rugby League is Checkers. As to the responses about Gentlemen & Hooligans, the analogy is incorrect. Football (Soccer) is a gentlemen's game played by hooligans, Rugby is a hooligan's game played by gentlemen.

Answer 7

According to legend :-

League is a gentlemans game played by hooligans, wheras

Union is a hooligans game played by gentlemen.

Answer 8

When is Rugby going to be on TV in the USA.Would like to learn about the rules and watch it from a good advantage point.

Answer 9

Here are a few items that differentiate rugby league from rugby union.

Playing Field

The playing field for Rugby Union is 100 metres long and no wider than 70 metres wide.

The in-goal area does not exceed 22 metres in length. Therefore, the largest field for Rugby Union would be 144 metres in length.

The playing field [pitch] dimensions for Rugby League are:

For Australia, as all grounds are the same size for the NRL:

68 metres wide,

116 metres long. This includes two 8 metre in-goal areas at both ends of the 100 metre field. [1] p2

For England and others:

68 metres wide.

112-122 metres long. The in-goal area can vary from a minimum 6 metres to a maximum of 11 metres. The variance is allowed, as grounds have different sizes, and some are soccer (football) grounds and do not have the space for the in-goal area. [2] p2

Points

Although both union and league use the same scoring methods, they award a different amount of points for each score.

For a try, league gives 4 points, union 5 points. (The ball must have downward pressure and grounded in the opponents in-goal area).

For a conversion, both codes give 2 points. (A kick, the ball is placed on the ground elevated by a kicking tee, or pile of sand, awarded after a try is scored).

Penalty goal, league gives 2 points, union 3 points. (Similar to a conversion except can be taken when given a penalty).

Drop goal (field goal), league gives 1 point, union 3 points. (The ball must bounce off the ground before kicking it).

In all instances of kicking the ball, the ball must go between the posts, and above the crossbar.

The method of play.

In both games the object of the game is to get the ball into the opponents in-goal area and score a try. If scoring a try cannot be achieved, some teams resort to attempting penalty goals (if any penalties are given) and also field goals.

The player with the ball usually runs towards the opponents and attempts to get past them. This can be achieved by passing the ball to other team mates, or being able to beat the player (opponent) in front of you, and sometimes by kicking the ball. Most of the time you get tackled.

Rugby league.

When a player with the ball gets tackled by the opponent the player holds the ball, waits for the opposing players to stop tackling him and then gets to his feet and plays the ball by putting it on the ground just before his feet and using one foot to move the ball backwards so the ball ends up behind him.

A team mate, called the dummy half and usually the hooker (no 9), will get the ball from the ground and pass it to another teammate or attempt to run or kick himself.

The team with the ball gets a maximum of 6 tackles (the amount of times the opponents tackles them) to get the ball to the opponents in-goal area and score some points. The teams usually kick the ball down field on the 5th tackle, so as not to have to give the ball to the opposing side where they get tackled on the 6th tackle.

Sometimes there is a 0 tackle, and the team gets in effect 7 tackles. This is usually after a kick down field from the opposing side.

If the opposing side deliberately plays at the ball, and you get it back, your team gets the 6 tackles restarted or "6 again".

If the ball goes over the side line, the game starts again with a scrum where the ball went over the side line. A scrum is composed of 6 players from each team binding together and resting against each other. The half back (no 7) then feeds (puts the ball into) the scrum and this team usually wins the ball, and the halfback gets it at the back of the scrum.

If the ball is kicked out on the full, the scrum is where the player kicked the ball, not where it went over the side line, unless the kick was after the 5th tackle, then it is a turn over (the opposing team plays the ball as if tackled).

If a player puts the ball down in their in-goal, the team has to drop kick the ball from their own goal line (the line seperating the in-goal from the normal field) to the opposing side. This kick must go 10 metres.

Rugby union.

Instead of a maximum of 6 tackles, union has rucks and mauls. When a player gets tackled with the ball, if he stays on his feet, and his team mates are able to bind (kinda cuddle) him, and there are at least 3 players (the maul is formed with the 3 players. These 3 players can be from the opposing team or team mates) it is called a maul, and the ball is allowed to be passed backwards through the maul. This allows advanced techniques like rolling the maul where the player holding the ball is pivoted around the other players to gain an advantage over the opposing team. The ball eventually gets back to the half back (no 9) who can either run, kick, or pass to a team mate.

If the player with the ball gets tackled and goes to the ground, the tackled player must release the ball, pass quickly to a team mate, or reach over a score a try (if close enough). If any player is on his feet (not on the ground) and a ruck has not formed (at least 3 people), this player may pick the ball up with his hands, or kick it with his feet. If the ruck has been formed, then ball get only be handled by the feet (not be the hand). The ball should be 'rucked' back to the halfback, and he can do whatever he needs to.

If the ball goes over the side line, a line out is formed where some players, can be 3 to 7 of each side, stand in a line perpendicular to the side line. One player, the hooker (no 2), throws the ball in from the side line between the two lines of opposing players. The players compete to catch this ball by lifting people into the air. The team that catches the ball may form a maul or pass (tap) the ball to the half back.

If the ball is kicked out on the full from inside the teams 22 metre line (22 metres from the try line) the line out is where the ball went over the side line, otherwise it is where the player kicked the ball.

If a player puts the ball down in their own in-goal area, the team must drop kick the ball to the opposing side before the 22 metre line. The ball must go over or onto the 22 metre line.

Answer 10

In Rugby union there are 15 players, while in league there are 13.

Rugby union is a MUCH tougher sport, the ball is constantly fought over.

In league a player is tackled and falls to the floor, he then stands up and the scrum half or what ever it is called in league then passes the ball out to his back line this happens 5 times then the ball is usually kicked away before the 6th tackle.

While in union once a player has been tackled he gets several 16 stone+ giants trample over him trying to win possession for their team. Also the scrums in league are pathetic with next to no pushing (in my opinion ther is no point in there being forwards in league), while in union the scrums are a real physical contest with 16  men ( 8 on each side of the scrum) well over 6foot and weighing in at usually 16 stone+ trying to push each other away from the ball.

League fans may argue that rugby league flows better than union, but surely giving away possesion after 6 tackles stops the flow of the game????

my vote: union ( however both are better than football!)

Answer 11

Apparently in England the rugby league thing is a big conflict.  In the rest of the world far fewer people are even concerned about rugby league and union is the most well known.  (some people who like league seem to be very jealous about that)  The games are both fun to watch (although I have never really watched much of england rugby as I am not a fan of any of their rugby - but my mom is into england rugby so I hear some about it).  There is just more union to watch in most parts of the world (Ipersonally prefer to watch and play union anyway)

Answer 12

Under League rules there only 13 players per team on the field at any one where as there are 15 players in union.

Answer 13

Different rules and one is more vicious than the other.

Answer 14

hu  doesnt no the difference god y dont u just look it uo on goole :-s

Answer 15

Union is a game of 15 a side where forwards fight over the ball at rucks, mauls, lineouts and scrums and backs (English) constantly kick the ball or drop it. It is played mainly by university educated  people who are highly paid but spend half the season injured and recuperating. The aim is to touch the ball over the try line to gain 5 points followed by 2 points for kicking a ball between the white posts and above the crossbar. Other ways of scoring are penalty goals 3 points and drop goals also 3 points that make up the bulk of the scores in 90 per cent of the games. The game is very boring and very slow. The game is played to global audiences and is played throughout the world.

Rugby league is a 13 a side game. It is played mainly in the north of England with two professional teams in London and one in South Wales. The principal is the same score a try 4 points, conversion 2 points but penalty goal is 2 points and drop goal is 1 point. The game is now fully professional but the players are still mainly working class people. The game is barely shown on the BBC apart from the challenge cup final but superleague is shown live on Sky Sports. Little coverage is given in the media and we often have to listento local radio for details of games. There is a huge amateur game in England. Rugby league is the premier spot in Australiaand second to union in New Zealand. The French are again attempting to upgrade their league and take part in the challenge cup and superleague. Scotland, Wales and Ireland have international teams and play before empty grounds. The game is played in the USA (Tomahawks), Russia, Serbia, Fiji, Tonga and in several Pacific Islands.

Rugby league is the toughest game is the world. The players are superfit and highly skilled with back row forwards able to run the length of the pitch. Each team is allowed 6 tackles and then they have to kick the ball unless they score first.

Answer 16

the rules are slightly different. You can kick the ball in one but not the other.

Answer 17

Different rules rugby is a 15 person game and is played in countries where it is predominantly played in universities except in New Zealand.  

League is working class, played with 13 people.  Both tough sports, placing different demands on the players and the skill sets vary.

Answer 18

rugby league is once u r tackle u must pass the ball on. rugby union once u r tackled u can either ruck the ball or maul. and in rugby union u have scrums.

Answer 19

two players and a world